PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Curt Barber (ranked 15429 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jonathan Cruz (ranked 24539 p4p, 0 weight class). Jonathan Cruz has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Curt Barber's chin.

Barber
vs
Cruz

163 cm
19
193 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

188 cm
19
190 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Curt Barber!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jonathan Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Thiago Cunha and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Cruz shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Barber manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Barber pulls Cruz in to control the position.
Barber is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Barber keeping moving, preventing Cruz from controlling successfully.
Cruz stops Barber from standing up.
Cruz being controlled here momentarily.

Cruz decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Barber, up you get!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Cruz gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Barber to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Barber could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Cruz working a defensive guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barber working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Cruz throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Cruz thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Barber stands up over Cruz, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Barber is standing up over Cruz. Cruz looks to escape but Barber dives into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz tries to buck Barber off but Barber is having none of it.
Cruz can't do much from the bottom here.
Cruz striking from the bottom but nothing landed.

Barber goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Cruz rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Barber's guard! Nice work there by Cruz!
Barber is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Barber looking to hit a scissor sweep but Cruz is one step ahead there.
Barber controlling Cruz's posture.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Cruz wants to pass to mount but Barber is defending the position.
Cruz frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Cruz unloads with some shots from mount but Barber bucks and avoids them well.
Barber avoids a series of strikes thrown by Cruz.
Barber working to try and regain half guard.
Barber is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cruz misses with a head shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz looking to control but Barber is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Barber is desperately trying to improve his position but Cruz has a good base and remains in mount.
Barber tries to hold on but Cruz postures up.
Cruz tries to control but Barber wriggling away.
Barber wants to hold on but Cruz pushes him away.
Barber really wants to buck Cruz off and get back to his feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cruz punching from mount but Barber doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Barber holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Cruz tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Cruz throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jonathan Cruz dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Barber drives through and clinches with Cruz against the cage.
Barber being controlled against the cage.

Cruz ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Cruz no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.

Cruz working for a triangle but Barber defends it easily.
Cruz has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Cruz has momentary wrist control but Barber slips an elbow through the middle.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Barber preventing the sweep.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Barber's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Cruz working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Barber.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barber postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Barber might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Cruz working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Barber doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Barber manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Cruz seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Jonathan Cruz has got the better of the ground game so far.
Barber lands a couple of elbows.
Cruz throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Cruz has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Barber has passed into side control.
Barber trying to control the position but Cruz is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz can't do much from the bottom here.
Cruz pushes Barber away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Barber gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Barber scoring with punches and elbows.
Barber slows the pace down.
Cruz is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Barber lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Cruz down.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barber lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Cruz down.
Barber knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Cruz on the ground.
Barber working away.
Cruz takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Barber gets to mount! Cruz was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Cruz is desperately trying to improve his position but Barber has a good base and remains in mount.
Cruz tries to lock up and control but Barber gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Cruz in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barber breaks from Cruz's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Cruz is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Barber raining down shots from the mount!

Barber has hold of Cruz's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Cruz manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Barber lands a big shot there that rocks Cruz but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Cruz taking shots to the head.
The referee warns Cruz that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Curt Barber dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Cruz tries to clinch but Barber is having none of it.
Cruz is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Barber changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Cruz looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Cruz throws Barber to one side and escapes!

Cruz darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Barber trying to hold on to Cruz's head to control him but Cruz postures up.
Cruz seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Barber does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Cruz prevents Barber from improving his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz wants to stand up but Barber has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Barber avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Cruz.
Cruz trying to control from half guard but Barber is working away.

Cruz stands up and beckons Barber to join him on the feet.

Barber shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Cruz is trying to defend but Barber finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Cruz wants to control but Barber is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz tries to roll over but Barber keeps him under control.
Cruz is looking to control Barber's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Cruz avoid being mounted?
Barber working the head and body with strikes.
Barber scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Barber wants to take a breather but Cruz is having none of it.
Cruz trying to hold on to Barber's head to control him but Barber postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Cruz being controlled here, momentarily.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Cruz holds on and takes a little breather.
Barber postures up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Barber throws a combination that misses

and Cruz counters with a single leg into guard. Barber didn't expect that.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Barber holds on and takes a little breather.
Cruz is looking to work some ground and pound but Barber has wrist control.
Cruz works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Barber trying to control here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Barber is not content to let Cruz control the position.
Barber is looking to control Cruz's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Barber avoid being mounted?
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Barber is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Cruz is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jonathan Cruz comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Cruz has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 28:29
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 28:29
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jonathan Cruz!